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Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008

William Elliott Whitmore to Tour with City and Colour in the New Year

Whitmore's ANTI- Debut Animals In The Dark Out February 17 2009

William Elliott Whitmore is set to spend the month of January travelling from the snowy east to sunnier climes as his tour with City and Colour makes its way from Detroit on January 9th to finish in Los Angeles on January 28.

Whitmore's ANTI- Records debut Animals in the Dark comes out the following month on February 17. Several of the songs such as "Old Devils" and "Mutiny" find Whitmore's focus turned outward to the state of the union and the misdirection of its leaders, yet his tales are told with such frank ire and acrid humor that they could easily be taken as Depression-era protest classics. Those songs are balanced with tracks more in line with Whitmore's previous work, the modern hymn of "There's Hope For You" and the stirring "Who Stole the Soul." While beautiful simplicity is familiar ground for the 30 year old Iowan, more than not Animals in the Dark highlights an artist stepping out. On this record Whitmore adds strings, a pedal steel, an organ, putting the songs into full arrangements and a band context for the first time. The results are a more expansive sound, without sacrificing any of the heart that has garnered Whitmore such devoted fans and critical acclaim.

The City and Colour/William Elliott Whitmore pairing is seemingly a match made in heaven. Both Whitmore and C&C's Dallas Green have roots firmly established in the punk rock scene, the former in his D.I.Y attitude and raw aesthetic, the latter with his pedigree as the singer for the post-hardcore band Alexisonfire. Yet both Whitmore and Green have a deep appreciation for American roots music, which will be highlighted on the tour. Expect to see studded leather jackets and dungarees both.